Wisconsin FFA Foundation awards $18,600 in SAE grants

Wisconsin FFA Foundation awards $18,600 in SAE grants

Funding for Supervised Agricultural Experience programs helps students work toward career goals through hands-on learning experiences.

The Wisconsin FFA Foundation recently awarded $18,600 in grants to Wisconsin FFA members working toward successful Supervised Agricultural Experiences (SAE).
As part of the overall FFA program, SAEs allow students the opportunity to create their own business or work with an existing operation to build career skills. Through SAE programs, students apply concepts learned in the agricultural education classroom to real-world agri-business, leadership, communications and production.

Wisconsin FFA Foundation awards SAE grants to assist students in propelling their SAE programs forward. The 2012-2013 grants were awarded in four different SAE categories: aquaculture, dairy, organic agriculture and start-up. Successful candidates were chosen based on the level and scope of their SAE in accordance with their age, their future goals and plans for the program and financial need.

To compete for funding, students completed a five-page application that explained their SAE program to-date, how much funding they were requesting, the anticipated use of the funds, financial need, future goals for their SAE program and other FFA and school-related activities. Each applicant’s FFA advisor also submitted a statement about the student’s involvement and SAE.

Funds for the Wisconsin FFA Foundation SAE grants were donated by agribusinesses and donors to the Wisconsin FFA Foundation Annual Fund. Program sponsors and grant recipients are as follows.

Aquaculture SAE grants were sponsored by the Wisconsin Aquaculture Association. The $250 grants were awarded to Dakota Turk of Big Foot and Colton Daniel Branville of Luck.

“These SAE grants will help Wisconsin students as they prepare for the future through hands-on learning experiences,” says Nicole Nelson, executive director of the Wisconsin FFA Foundation. “There is no better way to prepare students for future careers in agriculture than by encouraging them to find or create those types of projects while in middle and high school. These grants allow students to start or expand their projects.”

To learn more about SAE grants and sponsorship opportunities available through the Wisconsin FFA Foundation visit www.wisconsinffafoundation.org. To show supporter pride for Wisconsin FFA, any donor – corporate or individual – who contributes $10 or more to the Wisconsin FFA Foundation will receive a window cling to highlight their commitment to the organization.

The Wisconsin FFA Foundation, a 501 (c)(3) organization, unites individuals, organizations and companies who share a common interest in the advancement of agriculture and community leadership through FFA. You can support today’s FFA members by supporting the programs that have been core tenets of the FFA: proficiency awards, career development events, state FFA degrees, sectional leadership workshops, scholarships, chapter awards, agri-science fair, state FFA convention and state officer support. Learn more about the Wisconsin FFA Foundation and sponsorship opportunities by visiting www.wisconsinffafoundation.org.